Inside Podcasting (Jan 17th, 2018)

U.S. Senator Cory Booker has launched a weekly podcast called “Lift Every Voice.” The first episode debuted on Martin Luther King Jr. Day earlier this week, and civil rights leader John Lewis joined Booker to field questions from Twitter followers. The long-term goal of the podcast is to highlight other activists who are focused on justice and equality. "I hope this podcast will elevate their voices and shine light on important issues of righteousness and compassion that will inspire others to action,” Booker said. – NJ

The relationship between Audible and Broadway is now helping shows become more accessible for people with disabilities. As Vineyard Theatre managing director Suzanne Appel explains, physically visiting the theater to watch a play is not always an option. However, the podcast recordings of performances are ensuring that these shows are still accessible to everyone who wants to enjoy them. "For people who can never come to New York or for whom watching a play is not an option for other reasons, they have access to this storytelling and story we've created," Appel explains. – PSMAG

Hernan Lopez, the founder behind Wondery, recently spoke with Alison Weissbrot of AdExchanger about everything from analytics to “Dirty John.” In the interview, Lopez revealed that Wondery receives two-thirds of its listeners from Apple, and he hopes to improve the podcast hub’s content with analytics in the future. He also said he sees growing potential for success with advertising on podcasts. “Podcast listeners over-index for ad blockers, but they embrace ads on podcasts because they are, by and large, read by the hosts and native to the content,” Lopez says. – ADEX

Twenty-two-year-old podcaster Michael Jemison is trying to help people “stay woke” with a new podcast. “Challenge the Woke” has already featured guests including Black Lives Matter co-founder Michael McDowell, TV personality Robyne Robinson and Minneapolis City Council member Andrea Jenkins. “Woke to me means simply being aware -- nothing else,” Jemison explains. “I think if you start putting other things onto what woke is... you get stuck.” Eventually, he says he would like “Challenge the Woke” to be a place where Twin Cities artists can collaborate and gain notoriety. – CITYPAGES

Courtney Carthy of Nearly Media spoke with Australian podcasting industry leaders for their insights into the year ahead "Down Under." “No medium is more engaging than audio and with Australian downloads now in the tens of millions per month, brands should be flocking to the space,” Sharon Taylor, CEO of Omny Studio, told Carthy. Andy Hayes of Placard Media said he expects a “huge number” of production houses to appear over the course of 2018. “I would expect to see a number of major brands release podcasts next year,” he adds. “The question, will it be for the right reasons or, are these brands just going to be swept up in the growing buzz.” – MUMBRELLA

U.S. Senator Cory Booker has launched a weekly podcast called “Lift Every Voice.” The first episode debuted on Martin Luther King Jr. Day earlier this week, and civil rights leader John Lewis joined Booker to field questions from Twitter followers. The long-term goal of the podcast is to highlight other activists who are focused on justice and equality. "I hope this podcast will elevate their voices and shine light on important issues of righteousness and compassion that will inspire others to action,” Booker said. – NJ